Thoughts?
In the next two years I want to buy a car trailer. Econo Trailers are pretty affordable. Or find a great used deal. An Aluma brand would be nice but those are about 10k.
But I started thinking after seeing a lot with fixed fenders, what about a deck over. It seems to be what almost all of Europe uses as car trailers. With the right ramp setup would be great for a low car so no worrying about door opening or climbing out of a window.
You'll need ramps as long as the runway in the one fast and the furious movie to get something low onto that.
Many Euro trailers also use 12-13 inch tires/rims and the bed is narrow to be easier to drive thru old villages etc ,
I could see importing one in a shipping container with a car it !
Here is one for less than $3000 USD
Blyss Multitransporter Anhänger 402x212cm 3000kgGG für €2,975 (mobile.de)
This website is like USA Autotrader and has cars and trucks too
In reply to red_stapler :
I have seen a couple listed as tilt as well. Might be a good around to long ramps.
I used a similar snowmobile trailer to take my Locost to the track the first time. I have no recollection of how I loaded it, but that car had great approach and departure angles. I never used that trailer again. My next trailer had torsion bar springs so the deck was super-low, it was much superior.
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Well I have dreamed of importing a VW Lupo or Audi S3, and a manual transmission for my Touareg. But factoring all the costs then an Aluma brand tilt would probably come out cheaper.
Aside from the questions about ramps and loading, running teeny tires like that means the wheels are spinning a lot faster. Not great for trailer wheel bearing life if you're doing 70-80 on the freeway for long distances.
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:Aside from the questions about ramps and loading, running teeny tires like that means the wheels are spinning a lot faster. Not great for trailer wheel bearing life if you're doing 70-80 on the freeway for long distances.
Yep , but at least in Germany , towing a trailer is 80KM - 50MPH max, same as the Tractor-trailer rigs,
Its a long day if you are towing a trailer !
Also, in Europe a 2-3hr drive can take you through multiple country's. Here, a 2-3hr drive you're still in the same state, or even the same city if it's Atlanta.
Most of my trailer trips would be that short 2-3 hour, but occasionally would need a longer haul. So for me the best bet would be a used trailer or an Econo.
They make open deck ones too but I like a full deck for more flexibility. Plus things like my ATV and Honda ACTY are narrow and might not work on an open deck.
I had one custom made for about 5k. Dual axles with electric brakes. 13" wheels, a big dovetail, and two sets of ramps that interlock to get the car up high enough. One set slides in perpendicular to the deck, the other set runs along the side. They are steel so they are heavy. Maybe an extra 6" on either side of the tires once loaded, so not a lot of room to be "off" when loading. Can only see sky so its a bit unnerving the first few times.
Only have it because I have a pull through bay and a normal car trailer won't fit through. As is, I have maybe 3" on either side from trailer to garage door frame, its tight. It works well for my specific circumstances, I can store the trailer at home instead of paying to store it elsewhere. If I had a few more inches of garage door, or enough lot to fit an RV gate, there's no way I'd deal with it though. Literally no point IMO outside of it being extra narrow.
In reply to spedracer :
How have the 13" tires held up on long trips? Downside to them must be finding them in an emergency blowout situation on the road.
In reply to dan0 :
I've added two spares to the tongue just in case, but haven't had any issues so far. I've been meaning to buy extra hubs and find a spot on the trailer for them too, so I can be a bit more self sufficient. I'll also change the tires out soon, as its coming up on 5 years, even though the tires look fine.
I don't do crazy long tows, but have done plenty of 4-5 hour tows through the southwest desert heat at 80-85 mph. Its always in the back of my mind but haven't had any problems. It probably helps that the trailer is way overbuilt for the car that's on it. If the suspension would let me I'd bet I could take a pair of wheels completely off, slow down some, and make it where I need to on just one axle.
In reply to spedracer :
Id be interested in the ramp setup with the trailer loading if you have one handy
LD71
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